HERBAL ANTIMICROBIALS IN BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS AND VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDIASIS: AN AYURVEDIC AND PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEW
Background: Bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis are the two commonest causes of abnormal vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age. Both recur frequently after standard antibiotic or azole therapy, and antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation are now recognised contributors to treatment failure. Ayurveda describes discharge-dominant genital disorders mainly under Kaphaja (Shleshmala) yonivyapad, Upapluta yonivyapad, Acharana yonivyapad and the later term Shveta pradara, and treats them with oral drugs and local procedures such as Yoni prakshalana, Yoni pichu and Varti. Objective: To review the classical Ayurvedic understanding of infective vaginal discharge, correlate it with current knowledge of vaginal dysbiosis and candidal infection, and summarise the clinical and experimental evidence for herbal antimicrobials relevant to Ayurvedic practice. Methods: Classical texts (Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya) were reviewed. PubMed was searched for reviews, systematic reviews and randomised trials of herbal and plant-derived treatments for bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis, and for Ayurvedic clinical studies. Findings were synthesised narratively. Results: The classical description of Kapha-dominant yonivyapad, with white, slimy discharge, itching and mild pain, corresponds closely to the clinical picture of both conditions. Systematic reviews identify about 20 randomised trials of medicinal plants in bacterial vaginosis and a smaller number in candidiasis, most showing efficacy comparable to metronidazole or clotrimazole over short follow-up. Turmeric (curcumin) and dill, both used in Ayurvedic practice, have been tested in small trials. Ayurveda-specific evidence is limited to a single controlled trial of Dhatakyadi varti in pregnant women and indirect data on the antimicrobial and wound-cleansing action of Panchavalkala. Conclusion: Herbal antimicrobials are biologically plausible adjuncts in vaginitis, but trials are small, short and largely from a few centres. Standardised Ayurvedic formulations require rigorous, microbiologically confirmed trials with recurrence as a primary outcome.